


Reverse

by BunniesofDoom



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood, Body Horror, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:48:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27809368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunniesofDoom/pseuds/BunniesofDoom
Summary: Instead of Soul, Maka is the one injured during the fight in the church.
Relationships: Maka Albarn & Soul Eater Evans
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by If Only They Knew by ry123red. I wanted to do my own take on the idea. This work may end up getting a rewrite, as it is an older work of mine and I feel like I could do a better job of writing it now. Enjoy!

Maka has never felt so trapped or helpless before. It's hard to believe that just a few hours ago, this just seemed like a simple extracurricular assignment. Funny how things change so quickly.

The sword seems to swing in slow motion as she frantically considers her options. She can't guard with Soul, that will kill him, or at least seriously injure him. She can't escape the church, because the doors won't open outward. Maybe she could break through them with her scythe? No, there's not enough time. She could try to take on the sword by herself, but without her scythe, she can't do much against a sword. And even though she can't tell what he's thinking right now, she can imagine Soul doing something stupid to protect her, like he did in the fight against Professor Stein. Like he's done so many times before. She remembers his words from earlier: "I am your weapon partner, Maka! That means I am always prepared to die for my meister!" Somehow, that's not a very comforting thought.

Soul getting hurt for her again is unacceptable. He's always protected her, and it's not fair for him to suffer for her mistake. After all, she was the one who insisted on investigating the church. This whole incident is her fault, and Soul has sacrificed enough for her, during their time together as partners.

So that leaves only one thing she can do. Quick from years of experience, Maka tosses Soul aside, momentarily distracted by the gleam of moonlight on his red and black blade. She regains her focus just as the enemy brings the sword down. The blow ends up catching Maka in her left side instead of her chest; she had turned to toss Soul aside.

Maka wishes she was stronger, and could take the blow stoically, without flinching or screaming, like Soul would have. Instead, she makes a choked whimpering sound as her legs buckle and she collapses with a loud thud. For a few seconds she lays half-conscious on the floor in front of the doors, unaware of anything besides the sharp burning pain in her side, the steady drip of blood from the enormous gash made by the sword, and the sound of Soul screaming her name. He sounds really worried, more worried than she's ever heard him before. Not so worried about being cool right now. At least he's safe, she thinks dizzily, before finally, mercifully passing out.

Soul changes out of weapon form in midair, landing gracefully on his feet before rushing over to Maka, shouting her name as loud as possible. He doesn't think he's ever felt so panicked before. What on earth was she thinking?

He takes up a protective crouch over her crumpled body, reaching a hand behind him to check for signs of life. He breathes an enormous sigh of relief when his fingers meet her wrist and he feels her strong pulse beneath his fingers. At least she's still alive. His newfound relief allows him to return his attention to the pink-haired child as they approach swiftly, ready to strike another fatal blow. Soul prepares himself to fight to the end, turning his right arm into a scythe blade. He's nervous, fighting without his meister, but he's not about to let this weirdo touch her again.

Just as the sword is about to strike him, the blade of a scythe protrudes through the door, directly over his head, and pierces straight through the chest of their attacker. The door is ripped open, revealing Professor Stein with a scythe in hand. Soul never thought that he'd be happy to see their teacher, but for once, he's overjoyed to see Stein. Armed with his scythe, the professor sends their opponent flying.

Which means the scythe must be Maka's father. While the pink-haired child recovers from the last blow, Spirit transform back into his human form, swearing loudly when he sees Maka. He rushes over to her and Soul, before Stein calls him back, reminding him that they still have an opponent. Spirit reluctantly goes back to Stein, transforming back into a scythe with one last glance at Maka.

While the professor and their strange attacker are engaged in battle. Soul takes the opening to gather Maka into his arms and move her out of the way of the fighting. He searches frantically for a pulse again, not caring if her blood is getting all over him. Her pulse is weak but steady, and she's completely unconscious, which is concerning, but not surprising. "Hang in there, Maka," he murmurs to her, resting her head on his shoulder. He grabs her hand in an attempt to reassure himself. Even unconscious, she ought to recognize the gesture.

All he can do now is wait, and wonder to himself why Maka insisted on taking the hit. He should have been able to protect her, but she'd tossed him aside. "Why, Maka?" he asks helplessly. "I'm supposed to be protecting you, not the other way around," he finishes in a whisper, curling her closer to him, before he's forced to shift aside as the professor sends their opponent flying through the doors of the church. He follows the fight out into the streets of Italy, clutching Maka tightly to him. She's chalk-white and covered with blood. We need to get her out of here, he thinks grimly.

Maka would find this battle fascinating, and would be trying to learn whatever she could, but Soul just feels numb. He wants this battle to be over, and he wants to take Maka back home, but most of all, he wants to wake up and see that this was all a dream. To think that just a couple hours ago, the worst thing in his life was Maka smacking him over the head with her book.

Despite getting in a few lucky blows, the kid is easily defeated by Professor Stein and Spirit. Soul's interest is piqued when their opponent starts writhing on the ground, apparently going through something called soul rejection. He's hoping that the battle is over when a witch decides to make her appearance, flying overhead on a broomstick. Fortunately, the witch isn't too interested in fighting, and leaves after snatching up the Demon Sword.

Soul has been watching halfheartedly, most of his attention still on Maka. She's still losing a lot of blood, despite his attempts to stop the bleeding. He's startled by Spirit's hand on his shoulder. Spirit gestures to Maka, and Soul reluctantly hands her over to her father. "Let's go home," Spirit says softly, and they turn to head back to school together.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting outside the infirmary, Soul notices that Maka's dad is finally heading back from the Death Room. For the first hour that Maka had been in surgery, Spirit had been pacing anxiously outside the door of the infirmary, only stopping when Sid came to get him. Then he'd been hauled off to give a report to Lord Death. Sid had practically had to drag him away, he was so reluctant to go.

Soul has been sitting in the same spot since Stein took Maka out of Spirit's arms upon their arrival and whisked her off for treatment. Spirit had suggested that he go and change, motioning to Soul's clothes that were still covered with Maka's blood, but Soul just shook his head and hunkered down outside the door. Spirit had shook his head sadly and done the same. He's not moving until he knows Maka will be alright.

Honestly, he doesn't know how long he's been sitting here, and he knows that he should probably feel bored or hungry, but instead all he feels is exhaustion and worry. All of his thoughts are consumed by concern for his partner. Maka's never been this badly injured in the time they've been partners. She's had scrapes and bruises, the occasional concussion or dislocated joint, and she's broken her arm once, but nothing like this. He's never allowed her to be injured this badly; he's always done his best to protect her from any harm. For her to be injured this badly feels like a failure on his part.

Spirit, evidently exhausted from his earlier pacing, sinks down the wall and takes a seat next to Soul, providing a welcome distraction. "Any news on how Maka's doing?" Spirit asks hopefully. At Soul's dejected shake of the head, his shoulders slump. "So, what exactly happened earlier?" the red-head asks cautiously. "I'm not blaming you," he continues, seeing the look on Soul's face and trying to reassure him. "I just want an idea of the situation."

Sighing heavily, Soul continues staring at his hands. "We were cornered, and Maka had realized that I would get hurt if she used me to guard, so instead—" he has to pause for a second, and recollect himself before he can continue speaking. "She threw me aside and took the blow herself," he finishes, almost whispering.

"I was going to transform, and shield her," he explains hastily, feeling a sharp stab of guilt. "But she—"

He's interrupted by Spirit's hand on his shoulder. "This is not your fault. I've seen you and Maka together, and I know you go above and beyond to protect her," Spirit says firmly. "You know that once Maka has made up her mind, there's no changing it. She probably felt that protecting you was something she had to do," he muses fondly about his daughter.

"Do you ever wish that Maka had chosen another career path?" Soul asks tentatively. He still can't quite let go of the feeling that he should have done something more, should have protected Maka better.

"Every single day," Spirt replies, without any hesitation. "Especially when she gets injured. But Maka would never hear of it, she's been determined to be a scythemeister since she was old enough to walk. She's so much like her mother, in that way," he says proudly. "But she's happy, and at least I can keep an eye on her this way. Plus, I know that she has a great partner in you, Soul. Don't beat yourself up over this."

Soul's still trying to find a response to that, when Professor Stein finally opens the door. He's on his feet immediately. "How's Maka?" he asks anxiously, not even remotely concerned with seeming cool.

Stein looks exhausted. "She should make a full recovery," he announces, sounding immensely relieved.

"Can I go in and see her?" Soul demands, too worried about Maka to continue being polite. At Stein's curt nod, he bolts through the door, but stops immediately when he sees her. She looks—awful, ghostly pale and half-dead. She'd probably hit him for saying that if she could, but it's true. She's propped up on her right side, facing the door, and the blankets are pulled up so that only her face and neck are visible.

The thing that disturbs Soul most is how still she is. Maka is normally never still; she's always full of energy, always in motion. When she reads, she fidgets and plays with her hair. She's even a restless sleeper, always tossing and turning. This whole situation just feels wrong. Behind him, Maka's dad and Professor Stein are discussing something, but Soul is beyond caring. He can't stop staring at her, drinking in the soft sound of her breathing and the rise and fall of her chest. It seems like a miracle that she's going to be okay.

Alone in the room with Maka, Soul finally allows his voice to break. "I'm so sorry, Maka," he whispers. "It should be me in the hospital bed, not you."

Outside in the hallway, Professor Stein and Spirit were having a serious conversation. "Maka has the black blood inside of her," Stein explained gravely to Maka's father. "I don't know how it will affect her, but I doubt it will be good."

Spirit's worried frown deepened; he looked more serious and angry than Stein ever remembered seeing him. "If I ever see that Demon Sword again, I'll kill him myself," the red-headed man declared grimly. "The witch too," he tossed over his shoulder, heading in to visit Maka. Of course, he burst into tears when he saw Maka, wailing and begging her to wake up. It would almost be touching if it wasn't so childish.

It wasn't long before Blackstar and Tsubaki heard the news and rushed to the infirmary. 

Blackstar makes quite the memorable entrance, busting straight through the door and knocking it off its hinges. Tsubaki enters more calmly, but immediately bursts into tears when she sees her friend's condition. Even Blackstar seems somewhat subdued, although Soul still has to restrain him and threaten him to keep him from shaking Maka awake.

Tsubaki, despite her tears, is the first to notice that something was wrong with Soul. He hasn't spoken a word since she and Blackstar had arrived, and he seems extremely upset about something. Most people wouldn't be been able to tell, but to Tsubaki, the look in his eyes is a dead giveaway that he's unhappy. Wiping her eyes, she puts on a brave face and tentatively asks, "Are you okay, Soul?"

"Of course I'm fine! Maka saw to that," he snaps angrily. Tsubaki flinches at his harsh tone. Soul winces and tries to make amends. "I'm sorry. But Maka's really the one you need to be worried about," he tries to console her, forcing himself to relax. Biting his friend's head off won't accomplish anything.

She smiles gently at him, laying a hand on his arm. "It's alright, Soul. We're all upset about what happened to Maka." Tsubaki really wants to know what had happened on their mission, but decides that now is not the time to ask. Maybe once Maka was awake and Soul had calmed down a bit, she could ask then.

Everyone's attention is diverted when a woman in a white coat sweeps into the room. "My, isn't it crowded in here," she observes, glancing around at everyone standing around Maka's bed. "It looks like half the academy managed to fit in here."

"Dr. Medusa," Stein acknowledges politely.

"Yes, I'm back now. It seems everyone was quite busy while I was gone," she replies, seeming irritated by all the commotion in the room.

"Is Maka going to be okay?" Soul asks immediately. Stein had said she would be fine, but a second opinion never hurt.

"Is my darling daughter going to be all right?" Spirit blurts out at the exact same time as Soul. The fact that he hasn't even tried to hit on Medusa yet is a sign of how serious the situation is to him.

"She should make a full recovery," Medusa assures them. "And I have no doubt that this will make the both of you even stronger," she predicts confidently, gesturing to Maka and Soul. "Now, how about all of you leave Maka to rest? She'll be out for quite a while."

Her instructions are not followed right away. After a brief argument, Stein ends up dragging Maka's blubbering father out of the room, while Soul and Blackstar are coaxed into leaving by Tsubaki. She reassures Nurse Medusa that she would make sure Soul ate something and got some rest. "You should probably shower and change your clothes too," the dark-haired girl noted. She hadn't missed the fact that Soul was still wearing his outfit from the mission, which was covered in Maka's blood.

Soul casts one look back at Maka as left the room, still cringing internally at her still form. She got injured trying to protect me, he thinks, even though that's not how this is supposed to work. I have to get stronger to ensure this will never happen again.


	3. Chapter 3

Maka wakes to pitch black. It's so dark that she can't see her own body or any hint of her surroundings. She can't remember where she was before, but she has the suspicion that something terrible has happened. She can't imagine what it is, though.

Before she has time to think much more about what is happening, a voice calls out from somewhere nearby. "Maka!' It's Soul's voice! He sounds really worried. "Stop! Please! I don't want this!"

"Soul!" Maka yells back, relieved that her voice still works in wherever this place is. "Hang on! I'm coming!" But where are you, she thinks, looking around frantically. A light appears overhead, and Maka moves towards it, hoping to get a look at what's going on.

Her eyes fly open and Maka realizes that she's had them closed this entire time. That's why she couldn't see! But upon opening her eyes, she wishes she hadn't, because the sight that awaits her is absolutely horrifying. She looks down to see that she's surrounded by blood—her own blood?

Yes, it turns out, because she's now suddenly, painfully aware of the absolute agony coming from her left side. When she looks to see what it is, she sees Soul's head and torso, smaller than usual, poking out of her side. She stares for a moment, dumbstruck, and then starts screaming as loud as possible; the pain from her side, overwhelming stench of blood, and sheer horror from what she just saw finally getting to her.

Her eyes snap open, for real this time, and she's now in the infirmary, screaming her head off. She hears a worried cry next to her. "Maka! What's wrong?" Soul shouts worriedly, taking her left hand in his from where he's standing next to the bed. She sits up, still screaming, and her stomach, right side, and back explode with pain, causing her to immediately lay back down, trying to dull the sensation.

Finally adjusting to her surroundings, she stops screaming. Her head is heavy with sleep, and her throat is raw and hoarse. "Just a dream," she mumbles, flushing with embarrassment, at last meeting Soul's worried gaze.

"Oh good, you're awake," Dr. Medusa says with relief, strolling out of her office. "How are you feeling, Maka?"

Maka pauses to assess her injuries. "Not too bad. I'm a little tired, and my side hurts a bit, but other than that I feel okay." Beside her, Soul gives a sigh of relief. She absently notes that his eyes haven't left her face since she opened her eyes.

"That's to be expected," notes Dr. Medusa, calm and professional as always. "I'll get you something for the pain, but other than that, you seem to be recovering nicely." She turns back around to head to her office.

"Are you really feeling okay?" Soul asks quietly. He still seems incredibly worried. At her nod, his shoulders slump a bit. He's been meaning to yell at her for being a reckless idiot, but he's too relieved at seeing her awake to do it now. He'll have to wait until she's feeling better to scold her.

The sun is setting when Maka finally manages to convince Soul to leave the school and head home. He seems withdrawn, and upset about something, and she puzzles over what it could be. "Hey, Soul," she says finally, and he turns around to face her again.

She absently plays with the sheets, searching for the right words. "You know this isn't your fault, right?" she says hesitantly, watching his face carefully.

"Yeah, right," Soul scoffs, before abruptly turning on his heel and leaving her alone, with only Dr. Medusa for company. Maka slumps into her pillows, feeling absolutely defeated. Well that backfired, she thinks irritably. What's his problem anyway?

She's jolted from her thoughts by her father's voice. "Am I allowed to come and visit my darling daughter now?" Spirit asks, poking his head in. At her nod, he walks over to her, and to her astonishment, he doesn't make a single pass at the nurse. Who is this and what have they done with my father?

"I thought we could talk for a bit," he says pleasantly, settling himself in a chair at her bedside.

Maka thinks of things she could ask him about. Instead of her usual questions about her mother, and his infidelity, a different idea pops into her head. "Papa? Could you tell me about the Demon Sword?"

"So, how are you feeling?" Tsubaki asks Maka, perched in a chair at her bedside.

It's about the millionth time Maka has been asked that question this week, and she sighs in response for the millionth time this week. "I told you, I'm feeling fine. My side is still a little sore, and I'm bored of being cooped up in here, but really, I'll be okay." If Maka was being truthful, she'd say that her side hurt more than just a "bit," and she would mention that she's been more angry and irritable than usual, and she would talk about the horror she feels about the black blood inside of her, about what it might do to her. At least she can ask about Soul and his weird behavior "Do you think Soul's angry at me?"

Tsubaki's head jerks up at Maka's query, a shocked expression on her face. "Angry? No, I don't think so." Her face scrunches in confusion. "Why would he be angry at you?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Maka replies, attempting to sound casual. Really, though, the cold shoulder he's been giving her is starting to worry her. "He's just acting a little strange. Where is that idiot, anyway? Are he and Blackstar skipping again?"

At Tsubaki's sheepish expression, Maka sighs loudly again. "Those idiots! They're going to get kicked out at this rate!"

"You and your textbooks are the only ones who can keep them in line," Tsubaki muses, glad to see Maka being her old self again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, how have you been feeling?" Nurse Medusa asks, using her stethoscope to check Maka's heart rate. The nurse is calm and professional as always, but there's something about her that sets Maka's nerves on edge. 

She's probably just being paranoid.

Maka shifts uncomfortably at the sensation of the cold metal on her chest before answering. "I've been feeling much better!" Sure, she's still terrified about the black blood currently running through her veins, and she's still worried about her own unusual anger and irritability as well as Soul's strange behavior, but her side isn't hurting as much, at least. That counts for something, right?

"That's good to hear," the nurse replies. "Turn around," she instructs Maka, listening to her heart again for a minute. "Your vitals are sounding much better, although you still have a slight arrhythmia. Has anything else been bothering you?"

Thinking about her recent nightmares, Maka pauses for a moment before responding. She's been meaning to tell Soul about them, actually, but he's been so distant lately, she feels that he would just laugh at her. "There's this dream I've been having lately, almost every night since I got injured."

"A dream?" Medusa looks unusually curious, and Maka is suddenly uncomfortable. "Go on," the nurse encourages Maka, sensing her reluctance.

"In my dream, I'm in the apartment I share with Soul, except it looks a little different," she begins explaining. "There are more pictures of us and there are books everywhere, and in the corner there's a record player that we definitely don't own. The lights are on, but they seem much darker, somehow."

"In the dream, I'm sitting in one of the armchairs, and I'm wearing my normal school outfit. There's a strange creature in the room with me, a little demon, who wears a formal suit for some reason. His hands are really disproportional, and he's dancing to the music from the record player, saying something about swing. The record keeps skipping. He always says something about gaining power from breaking rules. After I talk to him, I always leave the room, even though I don't want to." 

Maka pauses here, tensing, because the next part of the nightmare is always so horrible.

"Why don't you want to leave the room?" Medusa queries, her amber eyes boring into Maka's green ones.

Maka takes a deep, steadying breath. "When I leave the room, it's completely black, and I hear Soul. He sounds distressed. And then," Maka turns away, her voice rising in pitch. "I open my eyes and Soul is coming out of my side, the side with the scar. And then I wake up." She shudders.

Medusa asks to examine her back again, saying something about reoccurring dreams being common after trauma. Maka doesn't feel terribly reassured, though. "And I'm worried about Soul," she continues, playing with a few strands of her hair. "Ever since I got injured, he's been acting really distant. I think something's bothering him."

Soul makes his way over to the infirmary to check on Maka, completely irritated by Stein's vagueness. I'm lacking something, he repeats to himself. But what is it? And how is he supposed to get stronger if Stein won't tell him how?

He does a perfunctory knock on the door before opening it and walking in. He immediately regrets not waiting for an answer, as the first thing he sees is the scar on Maka's back. It starts in the middle of her lower back, curving up towards her right side. He can't see it from this angle, but he knows it continues its path around her front, stopping in the middle of her upper abdomen. He goes red and shuts the door immediately, expecting Maka to be angry and try to chop him with a book.

Deep down, though, he knows he's not just hiding from Maka's wrath. He can't bring himself to face her scar. Every time he sees it, the sight weighs heavily on his soul, a reminder that he wasn't good enough to protect Maka. The fact that she was so badly injured on his watch fills him with a horror beyond words. He is her weapon, which means that he is supposed to protect her with his life, not the other way around. Leave it to Maka to try to do things the opposite way.

Behind the closed door of the nurse's office, Maka just slumps, feeling morose. Hitting Soul with a book is the furthest thing from her mind. It shouldn't be possible to miss someone when they're in the same building as you, but Soul seems to be a stranger lately. She just wants her partner back, and she wants things to go back to the way they were before. Before they met the Demon Sword. Really, she just wants to wake up and find out that it was all a dream.

"I think you're right, Maka," Medusa comments. "Something does seems to be bothering him."

"He gets that way every time he sees it," Maka sighs and shuffles her feet. "My scar." The Demon Sword's blade had cut deep, and she knew she'd probably have that scar for the rest of her life.

"Well, I'm sure both of you will be fine," Medusa says in an attempt to reassure Maka. "I'll see you back here in a week, okay?" 

Maka nods absently, lost in thought. She needs to figure out what's been bothering Soul. Their partnership is suffering, and she can't bear to lose him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.


	5. Chapter 5

Maka knows that something is wrong the moment she senses the unfamiliar soul wavelength.

The party is going well. Tsubaki had insisted on cooking since Maka just got home, and her food is delicious as usual. Kid and the others are excellent guests and make pleasant conversation as they eat. Blackstar is his usual annoying self, but he doesn't break anything this time, so Maka is content to just ignore him. Even Blair, for the most part, seems content to stay out of the way; after briefly interrupting the party, she leaves quickly when Maka shoos her out.

As the sun sets, it casts a red hue over the living room of her and Soul's apartment. She and the others, having devoured all of the available food, are content to sit around the coffee table and chat. Maka's about to smack Soul over the head with a book for complaining about her being a neat freak when she feels it.

The soul wavelength she senses is chaotic and dark, and the evil emanating from it makes her think that it's possibly a witch's soul. There's an almost slimy texture to this particular soul, she notes when she focuses closer on it, although it's hard to get a good reading when there's so many people around. She's never actually sensed a witch's soul before—to her detriment—but the sheer madness radiating off this soul is enough to persuade her that whatever this soul is, it's not human.

She doesn't remember standing up, but she almost knocks over the table when she turns to face the window. "Witch!" she shouts, before turning on her heel and sprinting for the door. Everyone voices their alarm and confusion, so she quickly tosses a "Sorry guys, I have to go!" over her shoulder before letting the door fall shut behind her. 

The last thing she sees before she turns to go is Soul's startled face, his hand outstretched and reaching for her.

He's probably going to try to follow her, she thinks grimly as she rushes down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Her heart is already racing and she's still out of shape from being in recovery for so long, but none of that matters right now. She has to go faster. And honestly, Soul worries too much. He's been shooting her worried looks all evening, and it's gotten to the point where Maka wants to smack him and yell at him to knock it off. She's not made of glass,; she can take care of herself.

Fortunately, the soul wavelength she senses isn't too far from the apartment. Before she's even halfway there, Maka is panting, exhausted already, and the wound in her side, although mostly healed, is starting to ache. She grits her teeth and ignores it, but by the time she skids to a halt in the alleyway to find Dr. Medusa and Professor Stein, she's out of breath and ready to collapse. She misses most of their conversation, trying to collect herself.

She pants for a minute, trying to catch her breath, before managing to gasp out: "Was that a witch's soul? I've never sensed one before." Looking around, she sees that Dr. Medusa is gone.

Stein nods in response, and Maka feels her panic spike. A witch in the middle of Death City, where they're supposed to be safe? Thinking of the witch that made the Demon Sword Child, she swallows hard, terror making her blood run cold.

"Do you think that it's the same witch that made the Demon Sword?" Maka asks, trying not to let her fear show. Stein reassures her that it's probably not, and Maka finally feels like she can breathe evenly again. She doesn't know what she'll do if she runs into the Demon Sword again. Part of her is terrified, after what happened last time, of what happened to her. The other part of her is angry, angry that she was trapped and defeated so easily.

Soul interrupts her thoughts as he sprints into the alley, white hair askew and red eyes wide with worry. He stops next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Maka, you shouldn't just run off like that!" he says firmly, checking her over and noting her pale face. "Are you okay?"

Her side is aching, and she's so tired she's surprised that she's till on her feet, but she's not about to admit that. "I'm fine, Soul," she reassures him even as she leans into him for support. He shifts closer and moves his hand from her shoulder to her back, right over her scar. His hands are warm, and his closeness is reassuring. With him around, even if it's silly, Maka feels like nothing can touch her.

He's quiet for a minute, and Maka is content to just stand there with him. The sun has set, and the alley is dark. She thinks they should probably head home, and the thought makes her cringe. She's already dead on her feet, and she knows that she's going to be sore tomorrow.

Soul abruptly turns to face Stein, a serious expression on his face, and Maka silently mourns the loss of warmth. "I know what I'm lacking now, Professor," he says quietly. Maka puzzles over possible meanings for the phrase in her head.

"Very good, Soul," Stein praises, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Then I'll see you two tomorrow morning, for extra training." On that note, the professor walks off, leaving the two of them standing in the alley alone.

"Come on, we should head back," Soul suggests, before she can pepper him with a million questions. She takes a step forwards and Soul shakes his head, gesturing to his back. Normally, she'd protest and refuse his help, but her brain is currently pudding and her limbs feel like lead. She climbs on his back with only a few token complaints, and he turns to head home.

After they've been walking a bit, Maka finally remembers her questions. "So, what was that about? You're willingly going to do extra training? At school? On a Saturday?"

"We're going to do extra training," he corrects her.

Maka blinks, shocked. "Who are you and what have you done with my Soul Eater?" she demands, shifting to get comfortable on Soul's back.

"Nothing's happened to me, I just think it's in our best interests that I get stronger," he replies, and before she can think of a response, they're back at their apartment. She insists on climbing the stairs herself, despite her exhaustion, and once they're inside, he quickly disappears into his room.

She's left standing alone in the middle of the living room. "Welcome home," she murmurs sarcastically. "What's going on with him?" She sighs, and begins to clean up the remnants of the party. 

That night, she dreams again of demons and blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning dawns bright and early as Maka and Soul climb up the endless staircase to the DWMA. "I can't believe you're willing to do extra class work, Soul! And on a Saturday morning, too!" Maka exclaims, hoping to get Soul talking. He's still being just as quiet and surly as he was last night, and it's really beginning to get on her nerves.

Soul sighs loudly. "Lay off, okay. I just think that it's a good idea to be more prepared, especially if we run into that Demon Sword guy again. We need to get stronger, and for that we need more practice."

"Who are you and what have you done with my partner?" Maka asks, astonished. At Soul's scowl and pointed glare, she shuts up and shifts her gaze to the ground miserably. She's really starting to miss the old Soul now. She'd even put up with the constant talk about being cool if it meant he'd stop acting like this. She hates having a stranger for a partner.

They enter the classroom in silence. Stein is waiting for them. Maka sweeps her gaze around the room, noting the unusual setup. "It smells funny in here," Soul complains.

So he finally chooses to talk, and it's to complain about the lessons he wanted to take? Unbelievable. Maka elbows him in the chest. "It's probably the scented candles," she snaps irritably.

"If you two are finished arguing, we can begin the lesson," Stein says calmly, raising an eyebrow at the obvious tension between them. "Your lesson today will be extremely dangerous. Failing it could result in permanent damage to both of you. If you mess this up, you may never be able to match soul wavelengths again. Are you sure you want to continue?"

"Yes, we're ready," Soul replies immediately.

Maka shoots him a shocked look. "But Soul, what if something goes wrong?"

His expression is unreadable, but his tone is pleading when he responds. "Please, Maka, We need to do this."

She shifts uncomfortably, worried about potentially damaging their partnership, but eventually she acquiesces. After all, Soul seems to think that this is important, and even if he's been acting strange lately, she trusts her partner. "Okay, we're ready."

"Good. Have a seat in the middle of the candles," Stein instructs, gesturing to the middle of the classroom.

Maka and Soul both take a seat in the middle of the circle of candles, still facing Stein and awaiting their next instructions. "Now face each other," he says, pausing to allow them to comply. "And tell your partner what his or her greatest flaws are."

There's a shocked pause, then Maka finally pipes up. "Um, professor? Do you mean to say that our special lesson is insulting each other?" she asks incredulously.

"I guess you could call it that," Stein muses, the look on his face making it clear that he's starting to get impatient with them.

After another few awkward moments of silence, Soul begins, bringing up what he believes Maka's greatest flaws are. His initiative earns him a book to the face, and he collapses to the ground, twitching.

After trying again and earning the same result, Soul decides to complain to Professor Stein. "Since this is part of our lesson, Maka shouldn't be able to hit me, right?"

Stein nods his assent. "Soul is right. Maka, no more hitting Soul."

Maka glares harshly at both of them, but reluctantly puts her textbook away. For some reason, Soul's insults are getting to her more than usual. They're not new or original, he says them all the time, but she finds herself feeling angrier and more hurt by them than ever before. Maybe it's just the fact that she's been feeling angrier and more irritable lately, or the lack of sleep resulting from the recurring nightmares she's been having every night.

Oh well, she thinks. If she can't hit Soul in retaliation, she might as well join in to get her revenge. Soon all pretenses have been dropped, and they're both hurling insults at each other. "What's going on with you? What's with your sudden obsession with training and getting stronger?"

"What's wrong with wanting to get stronger?" Soul shouts angrily.

"You're just being ridiculous!" Maka snaps back, getting to her feet. The image of the little demon from her dreams fills her mind, talking about breaking rules and gaining more power. "You just want to keep treating me like a helpless little girl! I can protect myself, you know!"

"The weapon fights to protect the meister, not the other way around!" Soul bellows back. Stein stands up, attempting to get their attention, but the two of them are too busy arguing to pay attention.

"I don't need you to protect me! Do you think it makes me feel better, knowing that you'll pull some stupid stunt to 'save me' when I can look out for myself?" Maka is pacing around the circle now, too furious to stay still. "By the way, it doesn't!"

"Can you sit down already? You're starting to hurt my neck." Soul retorts, refusing to acknowledge her ridiculous argument.

"I won't," Maka replies darkly, before turning on her heel and racing out of the classroom. Soul slowly gets up to follow her, attempting to compose himself and ignore the concerned look on Professor Stein's face, but by the time he reaches the entrance to the school, she's nowhere to be seen. His phone buzzes. It's a message from Maka. Going to library. Don't wait up. He slumps his shoulders and begins the long walk home. Maybe a few hours to cool off will help.

Apparently, Maka just spent her time in the library stewing over his various misdeeds, because when the front door of their opponent slams open three hours later, Maka's fury has not diminished in the slightest. She pulls off her coat and boots in quick, angry motions and is about to retreat to her room when the phone rings.

The expression that crosses her face is almost murderous, but she stomps over to the phone and picks it up. "WHAT?" she yells into the phone, eliciting a small yelp from the person on the other end of the line. Flustered, she at least tries to soften her greeting. "Hello, this is Maka Albarn. Oh, hello Tsubaki."

Soul tries to pretend that he's not listening in, but he has a feeling he's not very successful, judging by Maka's glare in his direction.

"You guys are going on a mission, and you need backup?" She ignores Soul frantically shaking his head. "We'd be happy to help! We'll see you in two hours!" She hangs up the phone, her frown finally starting to fade. Beating up on some kishin eggs should provide some excellent anger catharsis.

"Are you sure we should go? You're still recovering from an injury and—"

Maka cuts him off immediately, her tone icy. The look on her face is going to haunt his nightmares; she looks almost homicidal. "Your meister has made a decision. Now follow it." Turning on her heel, she heads over to her bedroom to pack. "We're leaving for London in one hour and fifty-five minutes." She slams the door behind her, and he can hear the sounds of her pulling out things that she needs to pack and shoving them angrily into her bag.

"Better dress warm," he mutters to himself. Between London's chilly weather this time of year and Maka's glacially cold attitude, this ought to be a fun mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.


	7. Chapter 7

Maka finally admits that she may have made a mistake in taking this mission when the strange man materializes in front of them on the bridge. His soul is a strange mix of things that are probably lethal in combination. And she's pretty sure he can use magic, which will make him a difficult opponent.

Of course the mission hadn't been going well before his appearance, between her and Soul's continuing animosity, and the fact that it's freezing outside here in London. Maka is cursing herself for not wearing leggings; her legs are freezing! Her side has started to throb from the icy chill in the air—she's going to be at a serious disadvantage if she has to fight.

Not that she's going to mention that; the last thing she needs is for Soul to think that she's weak. She's still furious that he tried to stop them from going on the mission, and that he seems to think that she's some weak little girl who can't do anything for herself. Hostility hangs between the two of them like the thick fog blanketing London. Tsubaki, ever the kind, diplomatic one, has been attempting to ease the tension between them, to no avail. If they have to fight, Maka is unsure whether they'll be able to work as an effective team.

Blackstar, ever the reckless idiot, decides to charge in headfirst. And of course he decides to use Tsubaki's Enchanted Sword mode, despite not being strong enough to use it yet. He's out of the fight in less than five seconds, without even making a dent in their opponent.

Soul and Maka exchange a glance, expressions torn between amusement and horror. Behind the man dressed in the prison uniform, Tsubaki hovers over Blackstar, face full of concern. Soul manages to land a would-be mortal blow on their opponent, but the wound closes up almost immediately. And then he decides to transform, and the shape of his soul changes drastically. Maka gapes in awe.

They're facing the Immortal Wolf-Man: this would be tough fight for just the two of them on a good day, but now?

"What an idiot!" Maka huffs, beyond irritated with Blackstar's recklessness, before turning to Soul and holding her hand out for him to transform. He takes her cue, shifting into his scythe form immediately. Maka grabs his handle and adjusts her grip, wanting to finish this quickly and go home, but yelps and drops Soul before she can even take a swing at their opponent.

"You burned me," she says in astonishment. His handle is hot; she won't be able to hold him to fight. This hasn't happened since the very beginning of their days training together, when their soul wavelengths weren't properly in sync. Which means that—Maka's eyes go wide with horror.

They won't be able to fight as a team, not like this, which means that they'll be fighting solo against the toughest opponent they're ever faced. Maka's side is already screaming in pain and she's reminded of the fact that she hasn't had a proper training session since before she was injured. No time to dwell on it now, though, as their opponent isn't leaving them any time to think.

The air feels thick and breathing is difficult, and Maka feels too foggy to avoid the man's first attacks. She hears Soul's worried cry as she's flung into an ice cylinder and then thrown towards the edge of the bridge. She narrowly manages to avoid falling off by grabbing onto one of the posts on the edge of the bridge; years of practice with Soul make it easy to swing herself back onto the bridge. Her adrenaline is finally kicking in, dulling the pain in her side a little bit, but it's still not enough to prepare her for the next attack. All she can do is try to shield herself as best as she can. We should never have come here, she thinks grimly.

She braces herself for impact, shutting her eyes tightly, but feels nothing. Instead, she's startled by a pained yelp from their opponent—he somehow managed to stab himself in the side with one of those ice cylinders he's so fond of using. He says something about being a little rusty with his magic. While he's distracted, Maka moves away from the edge of the bridge.

Tsubaki, still crouched by Blackstar's side, suggests that Maka try fighting with her instead of Soul. It's a nice thought, but there's not enough time for that to work, not against an opponent of this caliber. Maka needs witchhunter to even make a dent in this guy. Which leaves only one option.

The werewolf attacks again, and Maka miraculously manages to end up by Soul again. Her entire body aches, her side is screaming in pain, and she's absolutely freezing, but she has her weapon. They're just going to have to make this work.

"Soul," she calls, trying to get his attention. Ruby eyes snap to her face immediately. His face is etched with concern. "Transform into a scythe," she commands, putting as much strength as she can muster into her voice.

"But you can't even hold me," he protests. She does not have time for this right now.

"Do it," she orders him, her tone allowing for no argument. Soul looks dubious, but transforms into a scythe anyway. She catches him easily, forcing herself to ignore the searing heat that she can feel even with the gloves on. She doesn't need Soul to baby her; despite their wavelengths currently being out of sync, she can feel the concern radiating off him. Focus on the enemy, you idiot! I am strong enough to handle this!

She moves in to attack twice, but her hits aren't strong enough—he throws her off like he's swatting a fly. She's flung into the rail of the bridge, and now she's definitely going to be sore tomorrow. She gets up anyway, ignoring the new flare of pain from her back. She's not going to be beaten this easily.

Soul is yelling at her, as usual, telling her to calm down and focus. She brushes him off. She's going to do this her own way. Their argument quickly escalates, both of them so immersed in their petty squabbling that it takes Tsubaki yelling at them to get them to refocus. The fact that Tsubaki is actually angry enough to yell at them is enough to get their undivided attention.

Tsubaki lectures them on the importance of working as a team, and Maka feels her anger deflate a little at her friend's words. She's right, after all. If Maka wants to accomplish her goals, they're going to have to be able to work together. Both of their souls begin to relax a little, and she can feel their wavelengths shifting and regaining their compatibility. It's a relief to feel their souls in harmony again. No matter how hot it gets, I'm not letting go.

"Let's go! Soul resonance!" they cry in unison, and Maka begins to flicker with blue light as they resonate higher and higher with each other. Normally, she'd feel elated at their incredible resonance rate (and the fact that they're able to resonate at all), but something feels off this time. As their resonance rate grows exponentially higher, Maka feels her consciousness being carried, until suddenly, there's a strange tug on her soul, and she's not in control of her body anymore.

Soul watches in horror as Maka's green eyes become vacant and glassy, and she starts to giggle madly. She staggers forward, raising her scythe over her head. What have we gotten into this time?

Somewhere within Maka's soul, in an apartment full of pictures and memories, a small red demon grins to himself. "Now this is more like it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.


	8. Chapter 8

Maka is sinking rapidly. Something is horribly wrong, she thinks dimly, trying to fight to stay in control. It's a losing battle, though—with every second she's losing awareness, drowning in the overpowering madness. The liquid that surrounds her is viscous and sticky, like mud or honey. Each struggle she makes to free herself drains her energy and traps her further. For the first time since the incident in the church, Maka feels a deep, bone-chilling fear.

"Soul!" she screams. She can barely sense his soul anymore. "Someone help me!" she calls with the last of her strength. She hears Soul yell something in response, but can't make out what it is. Lashing out with one final attempt to free herself, Maka drowns in the madness, with Soul's yell and the demon's laughter ringing in her ears.

Maka continues to laugh madly, her expression vacant. Soul, still in scythe form, is getting increasingly worried. "Hey, Maka!" he calls, hoping to get her attention and get an explanation for what's happening. Unfortunately, Maka's brilliant green eyes stay blank, devoid of her usual spark, and she doesn't respond at all.

"Maka, are you all right?" Tsubaki calls from across the bridge, her expression full of worry. She's still crouched by Blackstar's side. For a moment, Soul is hopeful that Tsubaki can snap Maka out of this—but no luck. Soul can barely sense Maka's soul anymore, which terrifies him. He might not have soul perception like Maka does, but he can almost always sense his meister's soul. Not being able to sense Maka's soul is like not being able to feel one of his own limbs.

Even their opponent seems perturbed by Maka's strange behavior—the wolf-man has his head cocked, a confused expression on his face. Before he can say anything, though, Maka is staggering forward again, scythe raised. Her movements are erratic and clumsy, seemingly without purpose.

But suddenly, she lashes out, lightning-quick at their opponent, nearly slicing him in half. He jumps backwards and dodges the attack, his confusion turning to shock. "What the hell?" he exclaims, staring at the shallow crater formed in the bridge by the impact of the scythe.

Soul can't believe his eyes; Maka has always been strong, of course she has, but this strength is simply impossible. He reaches out to feel her soul again, and once again, can only feel the slightest hint of it.

Maka just laughs madly, continuing her assault. Despite her slumped posture and aimless movements, each blow she makes precise and strong. The wolf-man attempts to put up a fight, dodging at first and then reciting a spell to make a wall out of his tail, but Maka slices through the barrier like it's made of tissue paper. "This is boring," she complains. "Don't you have anything new to show me?" Grabbing onto his head, she slams him face-first into one of the bridge's pillars, causing cracks to form along the entire length of the bridge.

Soul is starting to seriously worry about all the damage that's been done to the bridge: it could fall apart if Maka keeps this up. "Tsubaki!" he calls out, hoping she can hear him. It's hard to concentrate around the sheer ferocity of Maka's assault and the waves of madness radiating from her.

Fortunately, Tsubaki's head jerks up immediately. "Soul! Are you sure you guys are okay?"

"Yes," he grunts out through gritted teeth, as Maka once again slams the wolf into the pillar—apparently their opponent is too dazed to fight back at this point. He's pretty sure that everything is not okay, but it's not like Tsubaki can help them now. "Take Blackstar and get to safety!" he commands urgently. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see her nod and scoop up Blackstar. Good. They're safe. He turns his attention back to the battle, just in time to hear Maka continuing to lecture their opponent.

"Don't you want to try anything like eye-gouging or fish hooking?" she asks, cocking her head and looking disappointed. Her cloudy green eyes are full of derision.

"What the hell," the wolf-man mutters again. His nose is bleeding, and he's covered in scratches. He looks about as confused as Soul feels.

"No? Well maybe you'd like to tear out my tongue!" Maka challenges, bringing her scythe up to take a swipe at his neck. She misses, just barely, and he takes the opportunity to take a swipe at her. He catches her in the right side with his claws.

Despite the fact that that had to hurt, Maka barely reacts at all. Her expression doesn't change, but she does bring her right hand up to investigate the wound. She presses a couple fingers to the gashes, then brings them up to her face to examine them. She looks bemused. "Wow, it's black. It's so pretty!" she exclaims, then licks the blood off her fingers.

Yuck, Soul thinks to himself. That's definitely uncool. Wait, black blood? That's a really bad sign!

Their opponent had been distracted previously as Maka seemed unaffected by his attack, but now he's brought his hands up and is chanting another spell. Soul is panicked for a moment, frantically trying to warn Maka, but it's no use. "Ice cylinder!" announces the immortal. Soul braces himself for the worst.

Instead of actually attacking them, however, the ice materializes around their opponent, completely sealing him in a clear prison. Maka giggles to herself for a moment, in which it becomes clear that he's well and truly trapped in there, then raises the scythe again, ready to deliver the killing blow.

"Maka, stop!" Soul yells, as loudly as he possibly can. "You've already won!" She still can't seem to hear him. He's completely at a loss for what to do. He should transform back—Maka would be much less dangerous without a weapon, but he's pretty sure that he needs to be resonating with her to fix whatever is going on here.

Fortunately, Tsubaki chooses that moment to come running towards them, Blackstar close behind. "Soul, Maka!" she exclaims. Maka halts her attack, turning around to look at the interruption. "I called the DWMA! Professor Stein and Death Scythe are on their way right now!"

What would we do without Tsubaki here? Soul wonders to himself. "Maka! He calls again, straining to feel any response from his meister's soul.

Somewhere, deep within her murky prison, Maka's eyes fly open at the sound of her name. It's barely loud enough for her to hear, but it's there. "Soul!" she calls back as loudly as possible. Maybe she can get out of here after all.

Soul feels his heart leap when he hears Maka's voice. It's very faint, barely audible, but the fact that she's responding at all reassures him that this isn't a lost cause. 

Alright, Maka, let's see what you've gotten yourself into this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.


	9. Chapter 9

Soul is really starting to wish that he actually had bothered to listen to Maka all of those times she talked about sensing souls. He might have learned something that would help him now. But of course he didn't, so now he just has to improvise a way to get them out of this mess. He shuts his eyes, and does his best to keep focused on the faint trace of Maka's soul that he's been able to sense.

"Are you there, Soul?" Maka calls again, and Soul grins to himself. He wishes that there was a way he could tell her to keep talking, because it makes it much easier to concentrate on finding her. He feels a strange sensation, almost like a tugging, on his soul, and his eyes snap open. He's no longer standing on the bridge where they were fighting. The air is warm, instead of frigid. He glances around. He's in—their apartment?

It certainly looks like he's back home. But the more he looks around at the familiar walls and furniture, the more little changes he notices. There's more pictures on the walls, and there's no way Maka would ever let the room get this messy, or let anyone leave all that crap on the floor. So where is he? Their apartment, but not at the same time?

"Maka, where are you? What is this place?" Soul asks, before whipping around at the sound of another voice.

"So you must be Soul," drawls a strange little man. No, not a man. A little red demon? 

Upon spotting Soul, the demon smirks. "So you must be Maka's partner. You know, your girl has gotten herself into quite a bit of trouble this time."

Soul growls. "What did you do to Maka? Where is she?"

The demon simply laughs. "What did I do to her? Nothing. She did this to herself. The minute she let herself get gutted like a fish in that cathedral, she let me in." Soul growls again, and the demon seems to sense his growing impatience. "And your girl's not very far off. Actually, she's right here with us. You can sense her soul, can't you? It's fascinating, the bond between a weapon and her meister. Truly an intriguing relationship, full of—"

Tired of this nonsense, Soul cuts him off. "Where is Maka? If she's here with us, then why can't I see her?" It's true that he can sense Maka's soul, but that doesn't seem to be doing him much good at the moment.

"My, my, so impertinent!" the demon teases, seeming almost amused by Soul's rage. "You're a clever boy, so I'm sure that you can figure this one out on your own."

If the demon isn't going to help him, then Soul isn't going to bother to listen to him. Soul paces over to what seems to be the entrance to the apartment. It looks just like their front door at home, except—there's a thick, black ooze trickling through the crack at the bottom. Black. Black blood? Soul rips open the door. If the black blood was what got them into this whole mess, then it probably made sense to follow it to find Maka.

Upon opening the door, the black blood doesn't come flooding into the room like he'd feared it would. Instead, he sees a vast lake of the vile substance; the surface glimmers in iridescent colors like an oil spill. Soul crouches down and carefully pokes the surface. He's surprised to feel a solid surface beneath his hand, like ice over a frozen lake.

Or maybe not like ice. It's stickier, like tar, and there seems to be a little bit of a give to it, similar to the softer ground beneath a mud puddle. Or quicksand. He can sense Maka's soul better now, and her calls for help are louder than ever. Soul braces himself, takes a deep breath, and takes a step out onto the black lake. It holds his weight, only sinking a little, and he keeps going, following the tiny beacon of light that is Maka's soul.

He's only taken about fifteen steps out when he comes to an abrupt halt. Maka's presence is so strong here it's as if she's standing right next to him, and her calls sound like they are coming from right underneath him. He stands still for a moment, trying to think of what to do. A sudden idea comes to him, and he crouches down again, shoving one of his arms beneath the surface as far as it will go. He feels nothing but the sticky black blood until, when he's reached down as far as he can go—he feels his hand brush smooth skin, just for an instant.

Time for a new approach. He withdraws his arm a little, shifting to a better angle, and reaches out again, stretching as far as he can. This time, when his fingers brush against skin, he grabs on as tightly as he can, and pulls. It's difficult with the viscous blood hindering him, but slowly, he's able to start pulling Maka to the surface. When she gets closer, he uses both arms, straining against the pull. There's a sharp jolt, and suddenly Maka bursts free, gasping for air.

Soul is so relieved that all he can do is stare at her for a moment. Maka stares back, her wide green eyes never leaving his face. "Maka," he begins. There's a million things he wants to tell her, needs to tell her, but he can't seem to put any of them into words right now.

"Soul," she murmurs, her voice barely audible. "Thank you." To his horror, there are tears welling up in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he frantically tries to soothe. "Why don't we head back now?" He gestures for the door to the apartment that he came through. He has so many questions about where they are, what happened, but none of that really matters as long as Maka is safe. She grabs his hand and they make their way back together as partners.

As soon as they reach the door, Soul feels a pull at his soul again, and suddenly he's back in London, still in scythe form. He shifts his focus to Maka as her grip loosens, and he's relieved to see that her eyes are sharp and focused again, no longer dazed and vacant. She lowers her hands, and Soul takes the cue to shift back into human form—just in time to catch Maka as she falls to her knees. "Are you okay?" he practically shouts. She's had way too many close calls lately.

"Just a little tired," Maka reassures him, before practically doubling over with a coughing fit. Soul lets out a startled yelp as she coughs and coughs, before spitting up a large quantity of black liquid into the snow. She wipes her mouth on her glove, leaving a black smudge on the white cloth.

"Black blood?" they ask, in perfect unison, frowning. Maka dissolves into hoarse giggles at their accidental harmony, and Soul laughs too. It's been a long day, and they're both a little worse for the wear, but they'll be fine.

"Tsubaki! Blackstar!" Maka immediately calls out to their friends upon spotting them. "What happened to the wolf-man?"

"Maka! You're okay!" Tsubaki says, sounding relieved. "The wolf-man escaped. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't do much on my own, and Blackstar's still too drained to fight."

"That's alright," Maka reassures her. "You're not hurt, are you?" When Tsubaki shakes her head, Maka breathes a sigh of relief. Movement on the edge of the bridge catches her attention.

"It looks like Dr. Stein and Death Scythe are here," Tsubaki announces. It's the only warning Maka gets before she's tackle-hugged by her father.

That night, after they've been cleaned up and given their reports of the incident to Lord Death, both of them immediately collapse into bed, exhausted by the events of the day. Maka sleeps without dreams for the first time since the incident in the church. Soul, however, dreams of a strange dark room with a grand piano, a scratchy record player, and a little demon for company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Thank you for reading! If you liked it please comment and leave kudos.
> 
> This is the ending I had planned from the beginning. I'm glad I took the time to edit and repost this story, I think it turned out much better with some edits.


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A genuine update on this story for the first time in . . . idk how many years? I guess I got a little inspired when I was doing some editing of this story. Enjoy!

"How are you feeling, Maka?" Dr. Medusa asks. It's a week after the disastrous London mission, and the nurse has just finished looking Maka over for any signs that her injuries are still affecting her.

"I'm feeling much better!" Maka assures the nurse with a smile. It's a genuine smile this time. She really is feeling good, better than she has in a long time.

After their fight in the church, Maka had almost forgotten what it was like to have a peaceful night's sleep, but now she's gone an entire week without a single nightmare. And her injuries from the wolf-man had healed remarkably quickly. They'd been covered with scabs from the black blood, which was weird, but those had fallen away to reveal unblemished skin, so she wasn't about to complain.

And her and Soul's partnership was more stable than . . . well, ever, really. Sure, Soul had been a little grumpy lately the past few days, but he'd also said something about not sleeping well, so she'd cut him some slack. If he doesn't want to talk about it, well, Maka can understand having bad dreams that are too disturbing to talk about. She doesn't feel the need to try to pry right now, not when they've been resonating so well lately.

It's probably fine. No need to pester Soul about it, and potentially break the trust that they'd worked so hard to build.

"Yeah, my hands and the cut on my side are all healed up. They didn't even scar." Maka is grateful for that. She has enough scars already, thank you very much. And she's sure that she'll end up with plenty more from fighting kishin. "And I haven't had any more of those weird dreams with the demon. I guess that whatever was bothering me before, I've managed to work through it. For now, I'm just trying to focus and study for the big test that we have coming up."

Dr. Medusa makes a small sound of acknowledgement, scribbling something down on her clipboard. Maka tries to read it, craning her neck to see it, but she can't quite make out the nurse's handwriting. "I see. Well, that's good to hear. And I'm sure that you'll do just fine, Maka. You've always been such a good student."

"Thank you, Dr. Medusa!" Maka blushes at the compliment.

"And how is Soul doing?"

"Soul?" Maka blinks in confusion at the change in subject. "Oh, he's been doing much better. Whatever was on his mind before, he seems to have moved past it. I guess he's been a little grumpy the past few days, but I think that's just because he hasn't been sleeping very well lately. I'm just hoping that he's actually planning on studying this time, and not trying to cheat like he always does."

"I see," Dr. Medusa says again, making another note. "Well, since you're doing so well, Maka, I don't think that I need to keep seeing you for your weekly checkups." Maka nods. "I'll plan on seeing you in one month, but please don't hesitate to check in with me sooner if anything changes."

The nurse's friendly smile doesn't quite seem to reach her eyes. "Of course," Maka replies, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

"And please tell Soul that my door is always open, if he wishes to stop by."

"Of course, Dr. Medusa," Maka says, standing up and making her way to the door. She tries not to make it obvious that she's rushing to get out of there, even though she's immensely relieved to escape the nurse's piercing gaze.

Maka shuts the door behind her. Medusa lets the fake smile fall from her face and rests her chin in her hands, deep in thought. "So the girl seems to have already overcome the effects of the black blood inside her," she muses, frowning. "That's unexpected. And more than a little disappointing."

She tilts her head, pausing to think for a few moments. "But she did resonate with the boy, did she not? I wonder . . ." She falls silent and smirks slightly. "I suppose that I'll have to keep an eye on those two, especially the weapon. At the very least, this experiment doesn't have to be a total waste."

Elsewhere, a small red demon sits in a dimly lit room, staring at a grand piano. "Hard to believe that the little girl managed to boot me out so quickly. I suppose that it's not completely unexpected, given the type of soul that she has, but still, to lose my hold over her that fast, it's embarrassing. I must be losing my touch."

He shakes his head and glances around the room. "Perhaps it's all for the best. After all, despite his best efforts, I can feel that the boy is a much better match for me than she ever was, even if he loathes the idea." He grins to himself. "And of course, to make it even better, those two are a matched set! So the girl isn't free of me just yet."

The entire room seems to shift, blurring and twisting around him for a mere fraction of a second before stabilizing again. "Ah, good, here he comes." The demon's smirk widens. The door creaks open. "Showtime."

Once again, Soul wakes with a start, heart pounding and gasping for air. He narrowly manages to resist the urge to vomit or start screaming, instead, dragging his hands over his face to try to calm himself down.

He's been having the same dream every night since their fight on the bridge, and even though he's almost come to expect the nightmares at this point, they still leave him incredibly disturbed. The thought of hurting Maka is utterly horrifying to Soul, so why does he keep imaging it in his dreams? And why is the little red demon there? It's almost like—

Maka's knock on the door nearly makes him jump out of his skin. "Soul! I made breakfast! Come out and get it while it's hot!"

"Be right there," he calls back, making no move to get out of bed.

"And I'm planning to be at the library all day. Tsubaki is going to meet me so we can quiz each other. I do hope that you're planning on studying today. The test is next week!"

"Yeah, yeah," he mutters, letting his breath out in a sigh and throwing off the covers. Might as well get dressed and ready for the day, since it doesn't look like Maka is going to let him sleep in.

He shoves his thoughts about the nightmares and the demon to the back of his mind. Bad dreams weren't exactly uncommon in their line of work.

It's probably nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked it please comment and leave kudos.
> 
> I might end up adding more to this story in the future, if I ever end up getting inspired. I feel like both Soul and Maka would respond differently when they use the black blood after the events of this fic, but unfortunately most of those scenes are fighting scenes which I am terrible at writing. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.


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